Safety apparatus for steam-boilers



l'UNITED sTATEs PATENT TrMo. CLARK, or NEW HAVEN. CONNECTICUT.

SAFETY APPARATUS FOR STEAll/[g-BOILERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. :5,254, vdated August21, 1847gReissued August 4in connecting an elastic metallic or othersuitable elastic vessel with the steam boiler by means of a tube, andloading the lever which presses upon the elastic vessel so as exactly tobalance the desired pressure of the steam in the boiler; then if t-hesteam in the boiler increases beyond that pressure, it 'expands theelastic vessel and raises the lever, which closes the draft, in part, orentirely,l according to the amount of the increased pressure, and as thepressure of the steam is decreased, by dampening the fire, (by the wantof draft,). the elastic ves-y sel contracts, and the Weight depressesthe lever, and opens the draft; so that the pres` sure of the steam inthe boiler remains uniformly of the same pressure, for all practicalpurposes.

To enableothers, skilled in the art, to construct and use myimprovement, I will proceed to give a full description of Vits con-vstruction and operation, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, which make part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is aperspective view of the whole apparatus, combined and ready forattaching to the steam boiler by the tube K. Fig. 2, is a perspectiveview of the elastic metallic vessel, which, when in use,fis inclosed inthe movable case A, Fig. 1. Fig. 3, is a direct view of a section oftheelastic vessel, tube, case, bearer &c, exhibiting the internal structureof the elastic vessel, and how it is inclosed &c.

The elastic vessel Fig. 2, is made of sheet brass, tinned iron, or anyother suitable material, capable of being made air-tight, and ofsuiiicient expansion for the use intended,

with a perforation at the bottom, which eX-' tends to all of the severalapartments of the vessel, as seen at M, Fig. 3, thus allowing thepressure of the steam from the boiler, through the tube, K, to act withequal pressure upon all parts of the yinternal surface of the vessel andkthereby expand the vessel upward toact upon the lever,'D, Fig. 1, bymeansof 'the upright shaft, or column, C, Figs. 1 and 3. Themetallicelastic ves'- sel is made by locking and soldering vor otherwise firmlyuniting, `the outer edges of the first and second plates, L, Fig. 3, andthe inner edges of the second and vthird plates, at their junction withthe'aperture, M, Fig. 3, and so on, alternately, until the vessel Ais ofthe required capacity leavingy the upper plate Lwhole, to sustain thepressure, as seen at L, Fig. 2.y The elastic vessel is .placed in ametallic, or other suitable case, (as seenfat cv, a, FigQS) open atthetop, and with an aperture at the Vbottom t6 admit thetube, K, This caseis placed on the projectingy part, z', F igs. l and"3,`-0f-the frame, I,I, I,'I,' Fig. 1, orsustained in any other suitable way a bearer of woodor other suitable material is laid upon lthetop of the elastic vesselwithin this case as seen at b, Fig. 3, on which the outside'case,`/A,Fig. 1, and A, A, A Fig. 3, rests. This outside case, (A, Fig. 1,) ismade open at the bottom and closed at the top, (A,`A,A, Fig. 3,) andshuts down over the inner case, (a, c, Fig. 3,)-as seen at A, Fig. 1,and se: curesy the elastic vessel from dust, and all other externalinjuries, or impediments. The circular partv of this outside case isextended, as vseen at A, A, Fig. 3, to steady the circular cap-piece,VB, Figs. 1 and 13, which is the foot of the uprightshaft, or column, C,Figs. l, and 3, the top of which acts against and raises the lever, D,Fig. 1, when lthe `elastic vessel is expanded by `the increased pressureof the steam coming from the boiler, through the tube K. A weight,

ai, Fig. 1, is to be suspended from the lever D, Fig. 1, sufficient tobalance the required pressure of the steam, *which may be adjust- I Atheboiler is greater than is required, it

expands the elasticv vessel upward, which,

by means' of the upright shaft, or column C, Fig. 1, raises thek leverD, Fig. `1, and a1- lows-the opposite end of the lever F, Fig.

l, to descend and close, (the damper in the chimney, or,)A thergate II,Fig. l, which regulates the wind from the blower, in part, or entirely,as is necessary, and in proportion to the increase of the pressure inthe boiler beyond what is required; and when the pressure of the steamdecrease, by therwant of draft, the elast-ic vessel contracts and allowsthe lever D, to descend, and by means of the connecting rod E, and thelever F, to open the (damper or) gate H, to the necessary extent. Thelever F, may be used or vdispensed with according to the situation ofthe damper, or gate,` or addition levers may be added, or the leverschanged in direction, or arranged or connected in any way which may befound most convenient in each particular case.

The tube K, must be connected with the boiler in some convenient way soasto communicate with theinside of the boiler.

When the whole apparatus is thus con-l nected, the steam, vafter onceattaining the required pressure, and the wieght d, being properlyadjusted on the lever D, will continue uniformly at that pressure whilesuiiicient fuel is used.

When the blower is worked by a separate engine the lever F, Fig. l, maybe madeto operate on` the throttle valve of the blower-engine, andthereby lessen the force of the blower; or it maybe used in any case, toact on the tightener of the. belt of the blower, so that when thepressure of the steam in the boiler is greater than is required, thebelt will'be slackened, and allowed to slip on the pulley, and thusdrive the blower with less velocity, and when the pressure of the steamagain decreases the belt ofthe blower will be` tightened, and the blowerwillbe driven with greater velocity; so that the fire which generateslthe steam is governed by the steam it generates; and thereby aY uniformpressure is preserved; thev whole apparatus being a complete'selfregulator. l i,

When the steam is not wanted for constant use, (as whenv it it not usedduring the'nighg) but it is desirablevto keep up steam readyfor use; theWeight d, can be so adjusted on the lever D, Fig. 1, as to keep thesteam at a less, but yet uniform pressure for any length of time, and bealways ready for use when wanted, by re-adjusting the weight. v

The advantages of` my improvement over all other methods, now used,consists, (in part,) in 'its capability` of keeping the pressure of thesteam in theboiler uniform, by regulating the draft, or the force of theblower, (as the case may be,) by the pressureV of the steam, or, makingit a self regulator. Also in its extreme cheapness, and simplicity ofconstruction and application; and thel very small space it occupies, asthe outside case of the elastic vessel need not be larger than threeinches in diameter, and two inches high.

I am aware that the dampersfor steam boilers have been operated bythepressure of the steam by means of pistons in various ways, and thereforeI do notl claim the opening and closing of the dampers by the pressureof the steam by means of'pistons; but

What I doclaim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

The application of4 an elastic vessel substantially such as hereindescribed, instead of the piston, whereby the friction of the piston isavoided, and the operation on the damper is rendered much more uniform;

the whole constructed and operating sub` stantially as herein described.

. Y i TIMOTHY CLARK.

i Witnesses:

WILLARD LYON,

R. FITZGERALD.'

[Fnzs'r PRINTED 1913.]

